North Hollywood–Pasadena BRT reaches 60% design; debate in Glendale centers on Glen Oaks bike lanes, business outreach and 2027 opening

Metro officials told the Glendale City Council on May 6 that the long‑planned North Hollywood–Pasadena bus rapid transit (BRT) project has reached major design milestones and is moving toward construction, but that decisions about bike lanes, parking and community outreach remain unsettled.

Tito Corona, Metro senior manager of community relations for the project, said Metro and its consultants are advancing the design with the intent to begin construction ahead of the 2028 Olympics and to open the line by the end of 2027. The 19‑mile corridor, funded with Measure M and SB 1 money, would run from North Hollywood through Burbank, Glendale and into Old Town Pasadena, with a planned eastern terminus at Pasadena City College.

Metro stressed system benefits and near‑term milestones. Matt Evans, Metro construction relations manager for the corridor, said the agency expects the line to attract about 30,000 daily riders and deliver peak‑period travel‑time savings of up to 44% compared with existing transit. Anthony DiFrenza, Metro project manager, said Metro has onboarded a construction manager/general contractor for preconstruction work, will begin potholing for subsurface utilities in June, and plans to submit 60% design packages to the cities later this month.

Why it matters: The alignment runs through central Glendale on Glen Oaks Boulevard and Central Avenue, and the design choices will affect curbside parking, street width, local business access and bicyclist safety. Council members pressed Metro on the tradeoffs between protected (class 4) bike lanes and enhanced class 2 bike lanes, and on how neighborhoods and small businesses will be notified during construction.

Metro presented the design approach for Glen Oaks Boulevard, where the project intends to preserve the landscaped median and convert one of three travel lanes to a dedicated bus lane, with station platforms located either in the median or at side running locations. DiFrenza said median stations will normally have a 48‑foot canopy and station amenities, while constrained sidewalk stations in downtown Glendale will have shorter canopies (36 feet eastbound, 24 feet westbound) and smaller footprints.

Bike‑lane debate: Metro originally planned to deliver class 4, parking‑protected bike lanes along Glen Oaks to meet commitments made during the environmental process. Design work and city feedback showed that class 4 lanes would require lane‑width changes and the removal of roughly 200 on‑street parking stalls on Glen Oaks, particularly where driveways and frequent right turns reduce the protective value of parked cars as a buffer. Metro said it has moved toward an enhanced class 2 design for most of Glen Oaks and will evaluate block‑by‑block opportunities for class 4 protection where driveway frequency and context make them feasible.

Council members continued to push for a granular, block‑by‑block review. Councilmember Brotman and others urged Metro to preserve as many protected segments as possible while limiting parking loss where residents rely on curb parking. Metro said the 60% design submittal later this month will incorporate city comments and that it remains open to targeted class 4 installations where they prove practical.

Business outreach and mitigation: Metro described a construction relations program, including quarterly virtual community updates, door‑to‑door canvassing within a quarter‑mile of active construction, multilingual notices (English, Spanish, Eastern Armenian, Tagalog), and a business support program called Eat Shop Play. Metro said Eat Shop Play offers free one‑on‑one marketing coaching, advertising channels, and other technical support to businesses within a quarter mile of construction; 83 businesses were enrolled as of April.

First/last‑mile: Metro presented a draft first/last‑mile plan that studied station areas in each jurisdiction and proposed pedestrian and bicycle projects—sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, traffic calming—within roughly a half‑mile for pedestrians and three miles for bicycle access. Metro staff emphasized that cities are not required to implement those projects but that Metro has incentives and assistance available.

Public comment split: Public commenters expressed a range of views. Some residents and speakers opposed lane reductions and questioned whether riders would shift from cars to transit; others, including transportation advocates and a city transportation commissioner, urged the city to pursue protected bike lanes where possible and to align local design standards with modern best practices. Several speakers urged stronger, earlier community outreach and cited local safety and parking concerns.

Next steps: Metro said it expects to submit 60% design drawings to Glendale later in May, commence potholing in June, continue monthly technical coordination with city staff, and advance toward final design by the end of the year. The council did not take action but directed staff to continue collaboration and review of the 60% materials when submitted.

Clarifying details: the corridor length is about 19 miles; Metro cited $317 million in Measure M and SB 1 funds connected to the project; Metro projects roughly 30,000 daily riders and peak travel‑time savings up to 44%; Metro expects to open service in late 2027; potholing and subsurface utility work is scheduled to begin in June 2025; Metro reported losing no service commitments from the metro board approval in April 2022.

Ending: Metro officials said they will return with additional design documents, continue monthly coordination meetings with city staff and hold quarterly community update meetings through construction; councilmembers asked staff and Metro to refine outreach and to pursue block‑level solutions for protected bike lanes where feasible.